Rumours and Wars
by MetallicCountess
Summary: Happy couple Legolas and Boromir have finally admitted their feelings to each other and couldn’t be happier. But how will Lord Denethor react when his eldest son brings home and Elf Prince and claims he is in love with him? Sequel to 'A Hidden Burden'.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, places and all that. Tolkien does.

Summary: Happy couple Legolas and Boromir have finally admitted their feelings to each other and couldn't be happier. But how will Lord Denethor react when his eldest son brings home and Elf Prince and claims he is in love with him?

A/N: This is a sequel to 'A Hidden Burden'. And this is SLASH, so if you don't like it, don't read it! For the rest of you, enjoy!

Lord Denethor sat in his throne smiling to himself. He had received most pleasing news earlier that morning. A messenger had woken him with a message that Boromir was on his way home and would arrive later that day. Rejoicing at the early return of his favourite son, he had had the finest ales to be brought in, and a grand feast to be arranged. He couldn't wait to hear of the tales Boromir would have. But he sat patiently, staring at the hall doors waiting for them to be flung open by his beloved son.

Boromir took a deep breath before entering the hall. It had been a long journey back to Gondor, but with Legolas at his side, the days had raced by in bliss. Both men were so happy and light that nothing else seemed to exist in the world whilst they were alone, wandering across the land. Thanks to Legolas' healing skills, Boromir's arrow wounds from the Uruk- Hai attack had healed well and cleanly. He looked at Legolas, who was standing loyally at his side, not a hint of nervousness on his calm face. Legolas smiled and tilted his head in a nod. _Lets do this. _Boromir nodded back. As they entered the hall, Lord Denethor clapped his hands in joy and came forward to embrace his son.

"Boromir! Welcome back! I'm glad to find you looking well and healthy." He beamed at his eldest. It was then he noticed the elf standing by his sons side. "I don't believe we have met?"

"Father, this is Prince Legolas of Mirkwood. He was one of the nine that left Rivendell. He is a good, uh, friend of mine."

Legolas stepped forward and bowed slightly. "It is a pleasure to finally meet you Lord Denethor."

Denethor inclinded his head in a nod. "You too Prince Legolas, any friend of Boromir is welcome here." He looked the Prince over, wondering briefly why he felt the need to come to Gondor. He had heard of the Prince before, mainly his unbeatable ability with a bow and arrow.

"Well, please go rest in your rooms, tonight we will be having a great feast in the dining hall. We can talk then."

The two men shook hands with Denethor and took their leave, Boromir leading the way through the winding corridors to the guest rooms. He eventually stopped outside of a room with a heavy oak door.

"This is your room, mine is up the hall." He lingered for a moment.

"Do you want to come in and… freshen up?" Legolas asked with a small, cheeky smile on his perfect lips. Boromir laughed and shook his head. "As much as I would love to, I think that while we are here, we should keep our relationship quiet. Just until I have worked out how to tell my father." Boromir frowned.

Legolas nodded in understanding. "Yes, you are right. I will miss not having you by my side." He stroked the Gondorians cheek. "I will see you at the banquet then?"

"Yes," Boromir answered, then took a hasty step away from his lover as a guard turned down the hallway and passed them. "Until then Legolas." He turned and walked away, not daring to look back.

Boromir enjoyed a nap and a quiet bath, putting aside his worries for the time. With the rings hold over him broken, his mind felt clearer and stronger, and he was able to concentrate on the real problems in front of him. He thought of Legolas while he bathed and wondered what he was doing, how he was feeling about the situation. They had hardly had a minute to talk since arriving. Perhaps later tonight he would be able to sneak down to his room and…No! Boromir extinguished the thought. He could not let his guard down even for a second. Secret visits in the night would have to wait, as much as he wanted to touch Legolas, as much as he burned for it, he had to steady himself.

He dried and dressed himself, choosing simple, but elegant loose fitting clothes for the dinner. He left his room and made his way towards the main hall, looking forward to seeing his fair Princes' face again. As he entered the hall, he was struck by the number of people sitting and standing around the room. Many shook his hand and welcomed him back with warm smiles. It took him awhile to make his way to the main table where his father sat, but when he did he felt his heart stop at the sight. Legolas sat next to Denethor, dressed in a pale, soft blue that lit up his eyes. His hair was loose from its braids and hung in shiny waves around his face. Boromir soon became aware that he was gaping at him, and shook himself out of it, hoping no one else had seen. Denethor was chatting amiably with Legolas, but stood when he noticed his son's arrival.

"Boromir! Please take a seat. I was just talking to Legolas about your journeying from Rivendell." Boromir sat on his Fathers other side. He took a large goblet of ale from a nearby serving girl and drank half of it in one go.

"Tell me, what happened to the fellowship? Why has it broken?" Denethor took a swig of his ale and eyed Boromir.

"We faced some difficulties, and were forced to split." Boromir sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "We were attacked by Uruk- Hai and two of our party were captured, we had to come up with a new plan, but we were divided. Too many paths faced us, so we had to split. Two were forced to follow their path, and another two chose to follow the Uruk that captured the Halflings and Legolas and I decided to come here."

Denethor nodded but didn't press for more information. He would grill his son later.

"Where is Faramir? It has been so long since I have last seen him. I would like for him to meet Legolas." Boromir asked, scanning the crowd for the familiar face of his younger brother.

"He is on patrol at the moment, but will be arriving home in a couple of days. He will be glad to see you. He has been most idle since you left." Denethor always wore a slight frown on his face when he talked about his youngest son. Boromir decided now was not the time to argue with his father about his brother, it was a conversation they had had many times over, he simply nodded instead.

The evening progressed in a simple and pleasant manner, with the conversation light and easy, and the food excellent. When he deemed the time appropriate, Boromir took his leave, bidding his father and Legolas good night. He slipped out of the hall as inconspicuously as possible and quickly made his way across the grounds to his quarters. He longed to lie down on his bed and sleep comfortably for the first time in a long while. As he neared his building a soft padding noise behind him caused him to spin around sharply and his hand flew to the hilt of his sword. He quickly relaxed as he noticed the glint of silvery hair shining in the moonlight, followed by the smooth, porcelain face of Legolas.

"You startled me." Boromir said gruffly, eyeing the elf. Legolas rolled his eyes. "You should have expected it. I have been following you since you left the hall." He took a step forward. "However your hearing is better than I expected." He smirked.

"Well I am used to listening for sneaky elves following me." Boromir smiled, and then lowered his voice, "You look wonderful by the way, very… pretty."

Legolas grimaced. "Pretty?"

"Oh I didn't mean… like that, just in an elvish way." Boromir flustered.

Legolas laughed lightly. "I understand, just don't call me 'pretty' again. I am not a female." He tilted his head to the side, and Boromir watched as his silvery hair slid across his neck and over his shoulder. "I will be sure not to make that mistake again." Boromir said as he turned and continued to make his way back to his room, Legolas trailing along side him.

"I have forgotten the way to my room." Legolas stated.

"You have not." Boromir replied with a sideways look. He stopped walking and turned to Legolas. "I'm serious when I say we cannot be together right now. I don't know how your father would react to our relationship, but mine would be angrier than you can imagine. We have to be smart about this until the time is right." He shook his head in frustration.

Legolas suddenly reached out and grabbed Boromir's hand and held it tightly in his own. "The time will never be right. Never. If you want to be with me, than be a man about it." Legolas looked almost close to anger.

Boromir snatched his hand back. "If I was to be a man, I would be with a woman." As soon as the words left his lips he regretted them. A glimmer of annoyance flowed over Legolas' face. Boromir sighed and shuffled uncomfortable. "I shouldn't have said that. Look, can we keep things quiet, just while we are in Gondor?"

Legolas sighed and nodded. "Goodnight then_ Lord Boromir_." He held out his hand and lightly shook his lover's hand, enjoying the roughly calloused feel of it. He turned and slipped off into the night, only then noticing a pair of eyes watching him. He frowned but decided to ignore them.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Don't own it, don't make any money off it!

A/N: Thank you Aiden for the review! More is coming soon!

Lord Denethor sat by the fire in his room, enjoying a mug of rare wine he kept in his private stash. He had enjoyed the banquet immensely; it had been a rare gift to spend an evening like that with his son. He had also enjoyed the company of the Mirkwood Prince; he had found Legolas a charming and delightful dinner guest and was glad his son had brought him to Gondor. A sharp knock at the door diverted his attention from his thoughts. It was a strange time at night to have visitors.

"Come." He called. A young guard stepped into his room, a wary look on his pale face.

"I am sorry to disturb you so late my Lord, but I am concerned for Lord Boromir."

Denethor jumped to his feet. "What has happened? Is he well?"

The young guard held his hands out. "No, he is fine. I am just concerned about his relationship with the elf Prince." Despite his age, the guard was bold and forward, these attributes earning him several promotions recently. Denethor was confused by the guard's words.

"What do you mean, relationship? What concern is that?"

"I mean no offence to you or the Lord Boromir, but I am afraid the Elf has put some sort of spell over him." He took a deep breath and prepared himself for his next words. "I think they are lovers."

For the next three hours the young guard was grilled over and over about his accusation by a terrifyingly angry steward. He did not regret telling the king what he saw, but by the end of their session he was mentally drained to the point of exhaustion. He steward had only grown more and more angry.

By the morning he had calmed down enough to think rationally about what he should do. He padded back and forth over and over and finally called in a servant. He was deeply worried, yet could not believe that his eldest would behave in such a manner. The guard had told him that he first suspected something was amiss when he spotted them outside of Legolas's guest room soon after the two men had arrived. The guard claimed he saw them talking softly and closely, and that they had touched each others faces in a way only lovers do. The guard then went on, somewhat embarrassed, to explain how he had followed them after the banquet and had found they talking quietly again, and clasping each others hands.

Denethor knew it was not much evidence to go on, and was convinced it was all just a big misunderstanding. However the guard had seemed so certain of what he saw, that the Steward could not rightly ignore it.

"Send a message to Prince Legolas. I request his company for breakfast in my quarters immediately." He told the servant.

He didn't have to wait very long until the elf entered his room. Denethor looked him over carefully and steadied himself. After all, there was no real proof of the young guards claim, it could all be false.

"How do you like Gondor?" He asked, motioning for Legolas to sit.

"It is very grand Lord Denethor. Boromir has told me much of your fair city, so I feel like I have been here many times before." He said, sitting in the chair offered.

Denethor nodded and reminded silent for a moment.

"It must be some time since you have been home to Mirkwood. You do not have a wife or beloved waiting for you there?" he asked quietly.

Legolas was taken aback at the question. "No Lord, I do not."

Denethor narrowed his eyes. "How is this so? I know that you must be hundreds, maybe thousands of years old, how have you never wed? You are a Prince, does your father not need heirs?"

"No, I have many siblings, some of which already have children, so there is a long line of heirs to the Mirkwood throne. This has allowed me to concentrate on my weaponry and battle skills so I may be useful in a different manner to Mirkwood."

Denethor nodded at this response, yet it did not fully satisfy him. "I feel I need to be blunt with you Master Elf. I have heard a rumor that you have been trying to seduce Boromir. Does this story have any validation?

Legolas was stunned, an emotion he not often feels. It took him a moment to gather his wits enough to reply.

"I can assure you Lord Denethor, these rumors are unfounded, and I am truly confused at why they have surfaced. Boromir is a dear friend yes, but I have no romantic interest in him." Legolas then remembered the eyes in the night that had been watching them. "If I have acted in a way that some may misconstrue as seductive, they are merely Elvish gestures of friendship and respect."

Denethor remained silent for a time, holding steady eye contact with the unblinking elf. Perhaps Legolas was right. After all, what did he know about Elvish ways? Very little.

"Alright I believe you. But trust me, if anything, _unsavory, _happens to my son, I will not be lenient in correcting the issue."

"I understand Lord, but you need not worry about such matters." Legolas politely bowed and left the room. As he walked down the corridor leading to his room, he felt that he was being followed. As he reached his door, he stopped and spun around, catching sight of a young guard fleeing around a corner. So, he thought, he may have convinced Denethor, but others were not so easily won over. He then changed his mind and decided to pay a visit to Boromir. He had not needed to sleep last night and had stayed up, missing the human's companionship more than he believed he could. It was perhaps not the smartest thing to do considering he was under close scrutiny, but he would not let anyone threaten him. Besides, there is nothing wrong with visiting a friend in the morning.

He entered Boromir's room without knocking, and was not at all surprised to find his supposed 'friend' still asleep. Boromir slept naked, his bed sheets tangled around his body in evidence of a fitful nights sleep. Legolas stood and watched him for awhile, smiling at the wonder of a mortals sleep. After a time he grew tired of this and gently crawled on top of him, straddling his torso. He put his face near Boromirs and waited for him to wake.

When Boromir's eyes finally opened, piercing blue eyes stared straight back. He smiled widely and threw the elf of him.

"Certainly that is a nice way to wake up, but Legolas, sneaking into my room so early in the morning is not a good idea." He grumbled.

Legolas sat back on the bed and looked at his lover. "Early? It is well past breakfast and nearly lunch. You sleep too much!"

Boromir looked out the window. "Oh, I see. Well we can't all sleep like elves. We humans need to sleep every night unfortunately."

Legolas laughed lightly and leaned forward to kiss Boromir. Boromir leant into the kiss, and wrapped his arms around the elf, pulling him down with him. He knew he should contain himself, but it had been so long since he had touched him. After awhile Legolas broke their contact and sat back up.

"I have had an odd morning." He stated simply.

Boromir sat up also; something in the elves tone was troubling. "What happened?"

"I spoke to your father. Apparently there is a rumor going around that I am trying to seduce you."

Boromir jumped out of bed. "WHAT!" he yelled, "What did you say! You didn't tell him the truth did you?"

Legolas glowered at him for the first time ever. "No of course I did not. I said I was not at all interested in you romantically, and that I only care for you as a fellow warrior."

"And?" Boromir looked ready to pull his hair out.

Legolas paused, anger still clear on his face. "And he believed me. But I am still under close watch from others. I do not like being followed around Boromir."

Boromir let out a shaky breath. "Thank goodness for that! And if we don't give them any cause for concern they will eventually stop following you around." He sank back down onto the bed. Legolas watched him for a time before asking quietly, "Do you not think it would be best to just tell him and be done with it?"

Boromir spun around to face him. "No. Not yet. Please Greenleaf, I need some time."

Legolas felt himself thaw. Boromir was right, he knew his father best, and how he strategized this would set the path for his future.

"On one condition. I will give you time, If you allow me one last moment with you before we become simply 'friends'." Legolas smiled and kneeled on the bed. He crept forward towards Boromir, who was sitting up against the headboard.

"Fine. I agree." Boromir could not object. He reached out and grabbed the Elf, crushing his lips against his. Their love making usually followed the same path. They wrestled for awhile, laughing, stripping, and leaving a few bruises on one another. The winner of the wrestling match was then allowed the dominant position, bending and forcing the other to a position of their choosing. There was never one clear winner each time, but Legolas had spent the night thinking out some tactical maneuvers that allowed him to win the fight this time.

"Ah ha!" He exclaimed, holding Boromir face down, his arms twisted behind his back. "It seems I am the victor of this round! Do you submit?"

"Yes, I suppose it is your turn this time." Boromir voice was muffled, but Legolas could sense him smiling. They then proceeded to make love in the style that Legolas preferred, lightly, sometimes too slow for Boromir taste, but always with a sensuousness that only the Elf could bring about. Legolas never sweated, but beads of Boromirs stuck to his skin, giving him an otherwordly sheen. Legolas always had his eyes closed until the end, when they would flick open and look deeply into Boromirs own. Making love to the Elf was like nothing else he had ever experienced Boromir thought. It always transported him to a faraway place, where there was no war, no death, and no threat. He remembered the first time they had been intimate.

It had been two weeks after they had split from the rest of the fellowship and were on their way to Gondor. Their relationship had progressed awkwardly after they had both confessed their love to each other. Neither knew what step they should take, although they were open and honest about how much they liked one another. For the first week, they had mainly rested as Boromir healed and re-gained his strength. Thanks to Legolas's elvish knowledge of healing, he had recuperated quickly, and they had begun their journey to Gondor. They talked a lot as they journeyed side by side, and at night Legolas had kept watch, never sleeping, allowing for Boromir to rest some more. So although they had spent a great deal of time alone, there had been little opportunity for romance to happen.

Then one night, two weeks into their journey it had happened. Boromir's wounds from the Uruk- Hai arrows still ached and on that day a stitch had come undone. They had stopped to make camp for the night, and as he stripped of his outer layer, Legolas had noted the dark stain on his shirt.

"I need to re- stitch you." Legolas had pointed to the blood. Boromir had taken off his shirt and watched with amazement as the elfs quick, slender hands had stitched him back up in seconds. When he had finished, Legolas's hands had remained on his chest, and he would never forget the look the Mirkwood Prince had given him. It had been full of simple lust, ignited by the feel of naked skin. Things had progressed swiftly from then; they stripped each other and made love for a very long time.

Boromir smiled at the memory. It had been the happiest time of his life. He looked at the Prince by his side. He was lying lazily, tired out from their love making. His hands were behind his head and a thoughtful look was on his face. Then a sudden look of terror crossed his face and he jumped off the bed in a heartbeat. Before Boromir could ask him what was the problem, the door to his room burst open and to his horror Denethor strode in. The steward took one look at his son, lying on the bed, barely covered by sheets, then his eyes travelled to Legolas who was kneeling beside the bed, half dressed and hair ruffled. He did not say anything, but the look on his face was thunderous.

"Boromir." He barked. "You will be in my council hall in five minutes. You will come alone." With a last acidic look at Legolas, he left the room.


End file.
